When the Angels Bleed
by Blue rose water
Summary: Elijah is a girl who is invisible and picked on constantly. Her younger sister is better then her at everything including earning the love of her parents. She is alone and unloved. What happends when she runs into three brothers who are misunderstood? Slenderman, Splendorman, Trendorman x OC
1. Chapter 1

Hi, my name is Eli (E- LIE), strange name I know right? I know what you're thinking; your thinking what kind of name is that for a girl? Well you see my parents had wanted a boy when my mother was pregnant. In fact they never got an ultrasound, my father just kept saying that all the first born children from the Angel side of the family were always boys. My mother just smiled and let him do as he pleased. From what I can understand it had been the same on her side of the family as well. In fact it had been like that for the last 16 generations of both families. Even the extended family believed that I would be a boy, no doubts, no questions asked. In fact they were so convinced that when it came time for the family to hold a baby shower no one even bothered to ask everyone just brought boy cloths and toys. My mother and my father even painted my room in the theme of footballs and basketballs. They had a complete name picked out and everything.

Well when the day my mother was due to have me (July 7th) came, like every other couple they went to the hospital. They were assigned a dingy room that was small and cramped. My mother was not happy about this at all. According to my father she threw a fuss and nearly had the nurse sedate her. But in the end they had no choice the hospital was full and that was the only sterile birthing room available. In fact if you ask her today the only thing she seems to really remember about my birth was the small room that she hated so much. And if you bring me up while she is complaining about it she will pause and have a surprised look on her face like she forgot that I was even born that day. She will then go and say of course she was happy to give birth to her first child, and then she will move the conversation back to that dingy little room that she had to wait in. It would seem that is how minuscule my birth was. But anyway back to the story! My mother went into labor my father was excited as this was to be his first born a son! But when I came out something was wrong, I wasn't breathing the nurse rushed me off to the ICU before my father or my mother even got a glimpse of me. It turned out that my heart was not beating when I was born. In fact the doctors had pronounced me dead to the point they were going to put me in a body bag, but out of know where I began to cry and scream. I was dubbed the miracle child all though out the hospital for duration of my stay.

For a week the doctors would let no one near me, not even my parents. They weren't sure why I was not breathing when I was born but after some tests it was discovered that I had a hole in my heart. A huge hole at that! It was directly in the middle and was about half the size of my fist. And considering that your heart is supposed to be the size of your fist, well they were baffled. I really shouldn't have been alive, in fact according to my father the doctors only gave me two weeks to live. However they were thank goodness wrong, I am 17 now and the hole is still there. I should in all reality be dead and not breathing, but by some miracle I am quite alive. However this didn't mean that it had no effect on me. I do indeed have an extremely week heart, I can't do sports and I can't even take long walks without stopping to lean against a tree after 6 minutes. If I over exert myself I begin to spit up globs of thick murky blood. I am not frail mind you; I can fall, scrape a knee, cut myself with a knife, scream laugh, and even get excited and be perfectly fine. The only thing is the fact that I have to track myself, and make sure that I don't over exert myself or take any direct hits to the chest. But besides that I am a hundred percent ok and able to do anything I please.

Finally after a week of being poked and prodded and studied the doctors allowed my parents to hold me for the first time. When my father found out that I was a girl well he was to put it lightly horrified. There hadn't been a first born girl in 16 generations and now here I come along and break the family line. My mother shared similar feelings with him, and when the nurse asked what my name was both of them just gave her a blank look. My mother deciding that since the name they had picked out was already on my crib and engraved into several of my things at home there would be not need to change it. My father still in shock put up no argument. So that is how I ended up with the name Elijah Gabriel Angel.

I was a quiet child with raven hair, red lips, pail skin, and big brown eyes. I looked nothing like my mother or father who both had pail brown hair, green eyes, and tan skin. However after some family photo searching it was found that I looked like a mix between my Fathers great, great, great, great, great grandmother and my mother's equally as great aunt on her mother's side. We were a happy family I was always with them smiling and laughing. We have quite a few pictures up in one of the corners of the attic with all three of us smiling and holding each other. However a year later my mother announced that she was pregnant again. My father and I were ecstatic I would finally get a playmate! As it turns out the second child of the Angel family is always a girl, my mother and father however did get an ultrasound this time around just to be safe. We have the pictures hanging framed in the living room to this day…. Well it turned out that family tradition stuck this time, my mother would be giving birth to a baby girl. The months passed quickly to me, my mother would always hum and hold her stomach with a huge smile on her face when she walked around the house. It soon came time where mommy ran out of room on her lap and my father was too busy to play with me because he was taken care of mommy. But I didn't mind after all I was getting a new baby sister! Well the baby was born on July 7th just like me, and she was a very cute little thing. I got no presents that year but hey I wasn't complaining, my present was a baby sister! There were no complications and my mother had a huge room that she got all to herself during the birth. That picture is also hanging in the living room along with the ultrasound. When I asked if they had any pictures of me after my birth my father looking uncomfortable said that he took a video but it had gotten missed placed. I quickly changed the subject sparing my father the embarrassment. After all it was an accident right?

Well my sister was named, Belle Ceri Berache Angel. The reason why she had two middle names is because my parent couldn't fit all they wanted to say about her into only two names. Her name translated is Beautiful Loved Blessing. My parents were so happy to have her that when my grandmother came over to see the new baby my mother told her that she had always wanted a girl to call her own. This confused me; after all I was only one at the time. But I still remember that comment to this day. All I could remember doing was asking myself, wasn't I a girl as well? And didn't mommy call me her baby?

Well as the years went on my sister grew she was beautiful with strawberry blond hair, big blue eyes, naturally tan skin, and rosy cheeks. She was my father's princess and my mother's pride. She was outgoing and loud. When Belle wanted something everyone knew it and my parents were all too happy to give it to her. As the years went on I began to fade into the background. Our house went from pictures of all four of us to only my parents and Belle. When dinner was ready my mother would only ever call Belle and when I would come down she would give me a surprised look as if I didn't live there and quickly set a plate out for me. It just seemed to get even worse over time. After a while they seemed to forget that they even had two daughters. My father's boss came over for dinner one night and when he saw me he quickly turned to my father and said that he didn't know my father had another child. Apparently my father only had pictures of my mother and Belle in his wallet.

The worst came when they forgot my birthday. My sister and I shared a birthday and it never really bothered me. In fact I used to think it was cool, after all it seemed that only twins ever had the same birthdays! But one day I woke up to my parents bustling around the house. There were streamers, candles, and a big banner over the doorway that read HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLE! My mother seeing me, quickly handed me some streamers and told me to hurry and hang them since it was my sisters birthday and she and my father wanted her day to be truly special. I was in shock, they had forgotten…. They had forgotten that it was my birthday too. I believe that it was my 10th birthday when this happened. I tried to open my mouth to remind my mother. But she beat me to it "Eli don't you dare complain this is your sisters special day! I don't want to hear one thing out of you, you hear me!?" I gulped and nodded looking at the floor my vision blurred and I began to take small raspy gasps.

"Oh don't start Eli! We don't have time for this your sister will soon be awake! Why can't you just help like a good child!?" My mother rolled her eyes at me and began to get angry with my held back tears.

"Honey is everything all right?" My father walked into the room holding a 5 layer cake that read "To The Best Daughter In the World Belle" It was so big and heavy that he couldn't even see where he was going. Seeing the cake just made my eyes burn hotter.

"Eli is refusing to help out with Belle's birthday! I'm up to my arms in decorations and invitations as it is, a disobedient child is the last thing I need right now!" My mother was angrily looking at my father and gesturing to me. "Don't make me spank you Eli!"

"Eli why won't you help with the decorations?" My father looked at me with a look of disappointment. "It's your sister's big day she will be turning 9 today! Don't you want to be a part of that?" I whispered something and my father leaned forward. "What was that Eli?" I whispered it again and this time my father heard it. He turned pail and quickly looked at my mother. "Why of course we remembered Eli! We were just playing a prank is all!" He tried to cover up the fear in his eyes by using a sugary sweet voice. "Why don't you go back upstairs so that your mother and I can finish?"

I quickly ran back up the stairs the tears still falling. "They didn't forget, they would never forget, yah sure sometimes my dad forgets to get me a present after a long trip and remembers Belle, but a birthday is different. I'm 10 today…. They would never forget right?" I kept mumbling to myself the whole way to my room. I met my sister who was at the top of the stairs watching the whole thing. She gave me a smile that could melt the sun. "Hey sis I heard everything, sorry about the fact that mommy and daddy forgot."

"T-t-they didn't f-forget…." I stuttered out but my sisters smile seemed to grow wider. I forgot to mention that I do have a stuttering problem, its cause I'm so shy and never really talk to anyone. I just never really developed the correct speech skills.

"Yes, they did." My sisters voice came out in a tinkling laugh. "If they didn't why did mother ask me about the colors and decorations but not you?"

"W-well they c-c-could have wanted it t-to be a s-s-surprise for m-me." I could tell that I was fighting a losing battle.

"Sis we know that is not true, after all if it was then why is my name only on the cake?" The smile never leaving her face as she glanced down the stairs from where she was sitting on the top steps. You could see the table where my father had placed her cake. The words "To The Best Daughter In The World Belle" stuck out as if in neon paint. "Sis we both know that all the decorations and even the cake are all for me. There is not one single thing down there that has your name on it. Mom and dad didn't even bother to get you a present."

I was about to open my mouth when my mother and father called my name. "S-See, they c-care! They are c-c-calling me right n-now!" I looked at my sister, who's smile and face seemed to only become more smug. I quickly ran down the steps with a huge smile on my face trying to brush off what my sister had said.

"Eli, come here." My mother had a nervous smile on her face.

"Y-yes mommy?" I walked over my eyes sparkling with hope.

She bend down to my eye level, however she wouldn't look me in the face. "You see, well…. Daddy and I only had enough money for one birthday this year and well we thought that since you're such a great and wonderful big sister, that you would naturally want your little sister to have it." Mom still wouldn't meet my eyes and dad wouldn't look down from the streamers he was hanging over the front door.

I felt my heart break a little when they said this. A part of me wanted to believe them. I really had hoped that they were telling the truth and that daddy and mommy really were tight on money and could only afford one birthday. But there was another part of me that knew that they were lying, and that part of me was making it hard for me to just except there answer. But all I did was smile and stay calm. I looked at the ground and then looked up my face a look of understanding.

"O-of course mommy, I u-understand. After a-all if there is only money enough for one birthday than that's o-ok with m-me! Belle s-should get it after a-all she's y-younger." I felt another piece of my heart break as those words passed my lips.

My mother's face seemed to relax right before my eyes her nervousness gone. "What a great big sister you are! You make your father and I proud! And don't worry next year we will do something special for you we promise!"

My father's face was also relaxed now, a big smile now taking it over. "That's my girl! Such a big compassionate heart!"

I had to admit that I was loving the attention. After all what 10 year old doesn't love being fawned over by their parents? However my sister's voice broke through the chatter of my parents. "Mommy, Daddy, what's going on down here?"

My mother quickly stood and looked at my sister with a huge smile. "Well baby were just setting up for your Birthday!"

My father went over to her and swooped her up into his arms. "That's right my little princess is turning 9 today! We wanted to make sure that we were able to have everything perfect for you!"

"For me?" Belle used her sweet voice. It was like a mix between wind chimes and molasses. She only ever used it on my parents when she knew that she was getting something she wanted. My parents never noticed though, and loved when she used that voice. I think it may have something to do with the fact that all I ever do is stutter. My voice will never be as smooth or as nice as my sisters. I can never get the words out right.

"Yes of course baby, we wouldn't dream of doing anything else than for you!" My mother said she was now facing my father who was holding my sister. They were the picture of a perfect family. Everything that I was not, and yet everything that I could ever want. I watched my father kiss my mother and then my little sister. I wanted a kiss too….. But I was way too shy to say anything.

I went up to my room after seeing that my parents were done talking to me. I sat on my bed and looked out the window into the woods behind the house. It was all trees they were dark and bare despite it being the summer. It seemed to me that they never bloomed or grew leaves. But I didn't mind, there long dark branches reaching for the sky reminded me of myself reaching for my parents love. It was calming to me to just watch as the wind slowly swayed the branches. My sisters room overlooked a small lake where flower bushes grew and baby ducks came each summer. We had moved into this house around 2 years ago. When we were choosing our rooms my sister took one look out the window and told my parents that she wanted the other room. She said that the room was to small and boring for her. It was true in a way, my sisters room was at least three times as big as mine, and my parents four times as big. I had the smallest room in the house. We had another bedroom that was twice the size of the one I was currently in, but my parents told me that they needed the extra space for a workout room. Something about the smallest bedroom being too cramped or something. I really didn't mind to much, after all it was important that my family stay happy. Right?

I was broken out of my thoughts by laughter down stairs. It seemed that the guests had arrived. I must have zoned out so much that I hadn't heard them walk through the door. I quickly got up off my bed and went down stairs. There was a huge amount of people down stairs. Belle had all 26 of her friend over and mother and father had some of their own friends over as well. I had no friends truth be told, being as quiet as I was. I just could never seem to reach out to others and bond. But anyway, when I got down stairs I was nearly trampled by a stampede of running kids. My mother had said that it was time for presents and cake so everyone was clamoring around to get a piece of cake and a good spot to sit and watch my sister open her presents. I walked over and sat next to my father on his right.

"Daddy! Eli is in my seat!" Belle was standing and glaring at me. I was confused since there was an equal amount of room on my father's left side and even next to my mother who was sitting only around 2 feet from my father. Belle began to make a scene repeating over and over that I had stolen her seat and that it was her special day not mine. All the kids and the grownups turned to me and began to whisper.

My mother came over and pulled me up by my arm. "Eli don't make Belle upset! It's her special day!" She then pushed me into the crowd of people standing and sitting around my sister. I was shoved and elbowed and pushed further and further from my family until I found myself standing outside of the circle. With tall grownups blocking my path I couldn't see a thing. I looked around and couldn't find an opening. Finally after an idea I climbed up the stairs and stat down. I could sit and look thorough the banister at my family while my sister opened presents. I watched as she opened present after present smiling and thanking everyone. Finally it came time for my parents presents, they handed her five present each one bigger than the last. Belle opened the first one and inside was an iPod touch. Everyone smiled and said what a nice gift it was. But my sister simply set it aside and looked at my parents expectantly. My parents then gave her the next gift, it was a Samsung tablet. This time my sister gave a small smile when all the other kids looked at her with envy. The next gift my parents gave her had air holes in it, when she opened it out came a small white puppy. All the children began to point and say how lucky she was, my sister simply smiled and clenched the puppy close to her petting it. She laughed at the kids who asked to pet the puppy and simply shook her head and held the animal tighter. The fourth gift my parents gave her was a laptop. At this point even some of the parents were starting to look with envy at her. My sister simply shrugged and placed the pet back into the box and placed the laptop next to it. Then the final gift was given, it was the biggest of them all and my sister was looking at it as if it were her last meal on earth. She ripped open the wrapper to find a 60 inch flat screen TV that my parents got her for her room. This made her happy and she walked up to my parents and gave them both big hugs and kisses. The circle then dispersed and my father went to stand next to the punch bowl which conveniently was placed right under the side of the stairs. I watched as his boss walked up to him.

"I see that raise I gave you last week truly paid off." My father's boss said with a huge smile.

"Yes thank you it truly helped out with my daughter's birthday!" My father looked at him with a huge smile.

"Ah, yes but don't you think that some of those gifts were a little to expensive to buy for such a young girl?" asked as he watched my little sister begin to play with her new laptop.

"Nothing is ever to much for my little princess. Though I do have to admit to you that those gifts did indeed take a chunk out of that raise you gave me. But I'll just wait till next week when I get my pay check. Then everything will be back to normal." My father said not worried at all.

"Well with the money you spent on those gifts you could have bought your daughter a whole second birthday!" laughed.

I was confused, what did mean daddy got a raise? Mommy and daddy told me that money was tight and that they couldn't afford another birthday. Also what was with all of those gifts? Mommy and daddy said that they only had enough money for one person. So how on earth had they bought all of those gifts if they could only afford one birthday party…. My vision began to blur when I heard my mother announce for everyone to begin to sing happy birthday. My sister sat in the front of her cake the center of attention everyone singing to her in loud happy voices.

A tear fell down my cheek, "It's m-my birthday t-too….." I whispered, but no one heard me. My sister then looked at me sitting on the stairs and gave one of her radiant smiles and blew out the candles.

I ran out of the house in a fit of tears. Everyone was to absorbed in my sister to see me leave. I ran into the woods, I had never been in there before but I didn't care. I ran deep into the woods and slumped down against a tree and began to let out raspy long sobs. I don't know how long I sat there it could have been hours or minuets I really dint care at this point. All I knew was that I was sad and hurting. All of a sudden I was broken out of my sobs by a kind voice.

"Hello there are you alright?" The voice was male that much I could tell. But I didn't remove my head from my arms so I couldn't see what he looked like. I simply shook my head; I was still gasping for breath and didn't think I could talk. "Are you hurt?" The voice was concerned now, and maybe a bit frightened. I shook my head again still not looking up. "Well then won't you please tell me why you're out here?"

I cringed and shook my head no again. I heard a sigh and felt someone sit next to me. "Well then I guess I will just wait until you are ready to. After all I can't leave such a pretty girl out here all by herself defenseless. That got me to pause and look up slowly at the person sitting next to me.

"Ah, there is that pretty face that I was talking about." His voice was now cheerful and upbeat.

"Ah…" Was all I managed to get out. His appearance threw me off. He was wearing a white mask that had a huge simile face on it and two very big black eyes but no nose. He also had on a suit that had a whole bunch of different colored polka dots on it. His hands were covered by black gloves and on his head he had a large top hat that was also decorated by a large amount of brightly colored spots.

"Hmmm… What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" The strange man just seemed to somehow make the mask smile even bigger. Then out of know where the mask blinked!

"How did you do that?" Eli finally seemed to somehow find her voice.

"How did I do what?" The man's voice became confused and his mask once again moved to show his emotions.

"That!" Eli said pointing to the man's eye that was now half closed.

"I'm sorry dear but I'm not really sure If I understand what you are talking about." The man's voice seemed to become even more confused.

"Right there you did it again! How do you make your mask move along with your face!?" Eli said this time pointing out right at the man, and raising her voice. Now normally Eli is quiet and shy but she was so shocked that she just seemed to be blurting out her thoughts with no holding back.

The man seemed to freeze for a moment and his face seemed to become sad. "This is not a mask…."

Eli froze, she couldn't seem to move. Finally she managed to stutter out. "W-w-what do you mean n-not a m-mask?"

"This is my real face." The man's mask seemed to grow even sadder.

Eli didn't know what to do or say. How could that be his real face! It was not even humanly possible! He had no nose, no eye balls, and well…. She didn't really know about the mouth but all she saw was black inside of his smile. Eli looked over to him and saw that he really did look sad. Her heart seemed to break a little at the sight of his face showing such a depressing emotion. After all its not like he could help how he looked. It wasn't his fault that he was different! If she were to judge him for his looks then she would be no better than those kids and grownups from her sister's birthday party. Thinking about the party made Eli wince a little be she shook it off. This wasn't the time to think about that!

"Go ahead run away. Like everyone else I've tried to talk to, escape while you can. Run, scream, yell, faint, but please don't defecate or urinate on yourself! I can't stand when you humans do that!" The man seemed to slump into himself his face becoming more shadowed and his smile becoming a frown. Eli couldn't help but think that it looked wrong, it looked like his face should always be smiling. A frown just didn't belong there….

"Ummm… C-can I t-touch it?" Eli looked at the man her eyes filled with slight fear.

The man's eyes or holes in his face, whatever you want to call them! Seemed to grow twice in size. "Y-you want to what!?"

"I-I mean if i-its two much t-trouble then y-you don't have t-to….." Eli began to shrink back into herself, she seemed to physically grow smaller.

"Umm…. No its not any trouble it's just that you're the very first person to never run away from me no less ask to touch my face…"The strange man's voice seemed to become lost, as his words became fainter.

"S-so can I-I?" Eli looked up at the tall man with hopeful eyes.

"Uhhh…. *Cough-Cough* Yah sure, you can touch I guess…." The man seemed to stiffen as he said this.

Eli reached her hand out and began to slowly inch closer to the strange man's face. She hesitated when her hand was only a hair away from him. "A-are you s-sure that your o-ok with th-this?" Eli wanted to make sure that the man was completely comfortable, after all she was the one imposing, asking to touch his face and everything. The man simply nodded at her watching her closely. She gently placed her hand on his cheek. The first thought that crossed Eli's mind was warm. His skin was extremely warm it kind of reminded her of a nice fire after sledding for a long time. It was comforting, but his skin was also hard almost like it was made from some sort of fine marble. It felt like if she banged a rock against it, the rock wouldn't even leave a scratch. Not that she would ever do that! It was simply a small thought that seemed to pass though her head. Then the last think that she realized was that the surface of his skin was as smooth as marble. Not a blemish to be seen! If not for the fact that it was warm and that it could move. She would have never believed that this could be anything but a mask.

"So did that answer your question? The man asked his arms moving to shift into a more comfortable position.

"I-It feels n-nice…." Eli quickly removed her hand blushing.

"You surprise me, most people run away screaming. Yet you have yet to even attempt to get up." The strange man looked at Eli with a curious glance.

"W-well I always be-believe that y-you shouldn't j-judge a book b-by its c-cover." Eli blushed harder, darn her stuttering! Why couldn't she ever get the words she wanted to say out correctly!?

"Why do you stutter?" The man's voice held no animosity only curiosity. But Eli was too absorbed in her own imperfection to notice. Instead all she heard was the question and not the tone that it was asked in.

"W-well….." Eli wouldn't look up from the ground. Everyone always made fun of her stutter even her own family had mentioned it once or twice in a negative manner.

"I don't find it bad or anything, in fact I find it quite adoring." The man placed his hand gently on Eli's head.

Eli's head quickly shot up her eyes opened wide and her mouth formed a perfect O shape.

"No, really I think that it is rather cute. Where I came from people are mostly silent, and when I came here all people did was talk their heads off. You are sort of in the middle. I find it rather comforting for some reason." The strange man's smile seemed to grow and take over his face.

"M-most people d-don't l-like my s-stuttering. "Eli managed to get out before her whole face turned red and her voice failed her completely.

"Oh? Well their loss then. I know that if I was ever lucky enough to have a cute girl like you come over to talk to me. I would stop everything just to hear your voice." The man's voice was sincere. But at this point Eli couldn't even speak she was blushing so hard.

"W-whats y-your n-name?" Eli barely managed to get that out of her mouth once her blush had faded a bit.

"Oh, me?" The man looked super surprised. "No one has ever asked me that before, but then again no one has ever bothered to hold a conversation with me before." The man seemed to mumble the last part to himself. "My name is splendor man."


	2. Chapter 2

"S-Splendorman?" Eli looked at the strange man with a funny expression. "W-what kind of n-name is t-that?"

"Why, it's a Slender name of course!"Splendorman looked at Eli with his huge grin growing wider.

"A S-Slender na-name?" Eli looked at Splendor man in confusion. "W-Whats a S-Slender?"

"Me, I'm a Slender." Splendorman pointed to himself.

"W-Wait so you're t-telling me that y-your last name i-is S-Slender? Is i-it like a tr-tradition in y-your family t-to give y-your kids n-names like S-Splendorman?" Eli looked at Splendor man with a small smile on her face, that was a silly family tradition.

"A family wha…" Splendor man looked extremely confused for a second before his eyes lit with understanding. "Oh no, Slender is not my last name. In fact I don't even have one…. But any way, Slender is my race."

"Y-Your race…." Eli was truly lost now. "What d-do you m-mean y-your race?"

"Well you know, sort of like how you humans call yourselves the human race. We Slender's call ourselves the slender race.

Eli looked at Splendorman with her eyes wide. "Wait a-are y-you trying t-to say t-that you a-aren't h-human!?"

"Well… Yah, I mean It's not like I look like you humans all that much…. There are some similarities, but there is also a few important differences." Splendorman's forehead seemed to scrunch up when he said this. Eli was sure that if he had eyebrows they would be furrowed together.

Eli was speechless she had felt his face and sure it was different. Impossible in fact, now that she thought about it. She had thought that maybe it was a birth defect he had been born with or something. The idea of some kind of nuclear accident or even a scientific lab test gone wrong had even entered her head at one point. However not once did the possibility that he wasn't human ever cross her mind. She took a minute to actually examine him thoroughly. She had been to surprised that anyone had been in the woods with her at the time and then she was distracted by his face. Cause of this she never took the time to really look at him. Now that she did though the first thought that entered her mind was "_Tall_" he was huge! Now a ten year old girl is not the biggest person in the world mind you. But he was huge compared to her own father and her dad was around 6 foot 7inches, he was no small person. Even though she was sitting next to him on even ground she only came to his abdomen! The reason she hadn't noticed before was because he was awkwardly hunched over so that his face was down towards hers. That in its self should have been impossible! The way he was bent made him seem like he was made out of bendy rubber or something. Then she slid her eyes down to his arms they were also very long. In fact it looked like his whole had could wrap around her head and still have room to grab some of her shoulders! Speaking of his hands, after looking closer Eli realized that he wasn't wearing gloves at all! She could tell because she could see his hands were tipped with sharp nails in fact they were more like claws, they were so sharp! Eli gulped; if he wanted to he could rip her to shreds without even trying….

"Are you ok?" Splendor man had been sitting quietly while Eli looked him over.

"W-What?" Eli was so into studying his appearance she was confused when she heard Splendorman's voice. "O-Oh, ummm… Yah s-sorry about t-that…." Eli blushed and looked down at her hands.

Splendorman laughed," Its fine, in fact I did the same thing when I saw you humans for the first time as well. If anything I'm just surprised that you thought I was human, more than anything else."

"W-Well you see I-I didn't r-really get a-a good l-look a-at you u-until now…." Eli's voice trailed off in embarrassment, he cheeks turning even redder.

"Ah, that makes sense." Splendorman still had a kind smile on his face.

"Y-You were telling m-me t-that your n-name was n-normal for y-your r-race…. S-So there a-are others like y-you?" Eli was desperate to change the subject off of how unaware of her surroundings she was. That and she was truly interested in this Slender race he had spoken of.

"Well yes though there are a lot less now. But we do indeed still exist." Spendorman held his hand up as if studying it.

"S-So why h-have I never h-heard of y-your people b-before t-then?" Eli watched Splendorman with a strange sense of fascination.

"We tend to keep to ourselves. Most of my kind are not very social, in fact I am one of the few who even dare to venture out of the Slender world, well me and my brothers that is…" Splendorman was now looking up to the sky.

"W-Waite your t-telling m-me you c-come from a-a d-different w-world?" Eli was beyond herself now. It was one thing that he wasn't human but now he came from a different world!? "A-And you h-have br-brothers!?"

"Well, sort of…. It's not like I'm from another planet or anything. It's more like I'm from a parallel world that's hidden from humans. And yes I do have brothers, though we tend to not see each other very often…." Splendorman was still looking up at the sky but this time a bird flew over him and his smile seemed to grow wider.

"A w-world that h-humans h-have never s-seen….. What d-do you m-mean?" Eli was trying to grasp the concept of a parallel world and really she was getting nowhere.

"Hmmm….. How to explain…. Well you see you humans tend not to realize what is around you. You are a rather self-absorbed race you could say. It's not like you walk around holding mirrors pushed up against your faces or anything. But rather humans tend to be absorbed in their own thoughts, so much in fact that they never bother to look at things around them. How often do humans actually stop to look at nature? And the few that do when they see things they immediately write it off as a trick of the light or their eyes." Splendor man looked down at Eli with a slight frown on his face. "Though it is not all the fault of humanity, other creatures like my race tend to hide. We are a world that the naked human eye can rarely see.

"Waite s-so your w-world is a h-hidden one t-that's kept s-secret?" Should y-you really b-be t-telling me a-all of t-this?" Eli looked up at Splendorman nervously.

"Well, it's not like anyone would believe you if you told them. You humans tend to need to see things in order to believe them. A trait that has hindered your race over the centuries." Splendor man still had a small frown on his face when he looked at Eli.

"W-Well I guess y-you are r-right… My f-family w-would probably j-just brush me a-aside…." Eli couldn't help but make a small frown at the idea of her family.

"Hmmm….." Splendorman looked at Eli's frown with concern. "It's starting to get late out and I highly doubt that a young girl like you wants to be stuck in a forest after dark. He stood up and dusted his polka doted pants off. Splendorman then bent down and offered Eli his hand, "Come now let's get you home."

Eli grabbed his hand and couldn't help but gape at him. He was tall when she was sitting next to him sure! But now that she stood next to him he was ginormous! Her head barely came up to his knee! "W-Wow" was all that she was able to get out.

"Yes I know the size difference is striking isn't it?"Splendorman laughed once again at her reaction to his height.

"I-I don't g-get how h-humans h-have trouble s-seeing y-you…." If anyone his height ever walked past Eli she was sure that she would notice without a doubt!

"Well I am able to control my height." Splendorman smiled down at Eli

"W-Wait you c-can!? Will y-you show m-me?" Eli looked up at Splendorman with sparkling eyes.

Splendor man began to grown smaller until he was around 6 foot 9inches. "How this?"

"I-It's a little b-better but i-it still h-hurts my n-neck having t-to look u-up at y-you…." Eli's neck was getting sore from constantly looking up at Splendorman.

"Here how about this?" Splendorman reached down and swopped Eli up into his arms holding her in a princess position.

Eli was blushing redder than a tomato, she could barely speak. "W-Well I c-can see y-you b-better n-now that's f-for s-sure…"

"Good" Splendorman gave her a sunny smile before he began to walk in the direction that she had come. Which made Eli wonder how did he know where she lived?" As if reading her thoughts Splendorman said, "My species has a really strong sense of smell, not many people have been in this forest so your scent is the strongest. I can tell that you came from this direction, however feel free to tell me if I'm going in the wrong direction."

"Uh, nn-o this i-is the r-right w-way…." Eli cringed she hoped that she didn't smell bad or anything…. "D-Do I s-smell o-ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yah you smell rather good actually like rain and plants it's rather refreshing. Though you also smell like salt and tears. It was your smell that made me stop and talk to you in the first place. Lately whenever I tried to talk to humans they all ran away screaming. I was about to give up. So I'm rather glad that I stopped to talk to you it was a pleasant surprise." Splendorman all of a sudden stopped. "Is this your home?"

Eli looked at where they were standing; it was the edge of her yard. "Y-Yah, it is t-thanks for w-walking me h-home S-Splendorman." Splendorman placed her down on the grass gently.

"I should be the one thanking you. After all you are the first human who has ever bothered to talk to me." Splendorman smiled down at her his eyes beaming with happiness despite him having no eyeballs.

"I-It's there l-loss, you are a-a great f-friend!" Eli looked up at Splendorman her eyes determined.

"You….. you think of me as a friend?" Splendorman looked at Eli his face in complete shock.

"O-Of course I-I do. Do y-you?" Eli's voice went soft when she asked her question at the end.

Splendorman stood frozen before he quickly (Faster than Eli's eyes could follow) reached down and snatched Eli up from off the ground again this time he spun her around until they were both dizzy and laughing. "I have a friend! My very first friend!"

Eli couldn't help but laugh as well. It was truly nice to have a friend she had to admit. After seeing her sister surrounded by friends her whole life and never having any of her own. Eli was overjoyed to have someone she could call her own personal friend. "Y-You are m-my first f-friend as w-well…."

"I-I am?" Splendor man's eyes began to tear. "I can't tell you what that means to me." He pulled Eli into a tight hug. Before once again placing her down on the ground slowly.

"Eli you have truly helped me. I fell that I can now go and fulfill my mission!" Splendorman smiled up at the sky as if seeing a picture of something that Eli could not.

"M-Mission? W-What m-mission?" Eli was confused Splendorman hadn't mentioned any mission….

"I have to make friends all over the world! I am going to help people understand that the Slender race is not all bad!" Splendorman smiled down at Eli.

All around the world? To make friends? It took Eli 10 years just to make one friend! So if Splendorman was traveling around the world and trying to make friends there was no telling when he would come back!"W-Will I ever s-see you a-again?" Eli looked up at Splendor man her face sad.

"I have to keep doing my job of spreading cheer around the world. But I know we will! You are after all my first and best friend!" Splendorman gave a huge smile, "You have helped me to believe that humans are not all bad and that there are nice people out there. Thank you Eli."

Eli couldn't stop the tears from coming to her eyes. "B-But I won't s-see you a-again for a-a w-while…. If you're t-traveling around t-the whole w-world. And w-what if y-you find s-someone t-that you l-like better t-than me a-and make t-them y-your best f-friend i-instead?" The tears were pouring down Eli's face at this point.

"Oh Eli, there is no way that could ever happen. After all you are my first and best friend. I will always remember you, and I promise to come back to see you again once I have make more friends in the world and spread more cheer." Splendorman looked down at Eli's face and his heart broke a bit. After all who wants to see their first friend sad?

"I-I don't w-want you t-to g-go!" Eli knew it was selfish but could you really blame her? No one had bothered to really talk to her before Splendorman.

"Eli….." Splendorman's voice was soft and his eyes took on a slightly pained look. All of a sudden his face lit up and a huge smile once again graced his features. "Waite! I have an idea!" Eli watched as he reached behind his back as if grabbing something. She heard a small snap and saw Splendorman flinch slightly. But before she could ask what was wrong he pulled what appeared to be a gold colored round bell from out of nowhere! The bell seemed small in splendorman's hand but compaired to Eli's ten year old hands it took up here whole palm!(In reality the bell was around two inches wide and two inches tall. Eli just had really small hands.) It had a small hook on top as if something was meant to go through it. "Hang on I'm sure that I have a ribbon around here somewhere…"Splendorman reached into his pocket on the side of his suit and pulled out a long red ribbon that matched his bow tie. He then threaded it into the bell creating a sort of necklace. He kneeled down and slowly bent his torso until he was at Elis height. "Hold still ok?" Eli nodded, she felt him tie the ribbon around her neck. Shhe then felt the bell settle in the center of her chest. It was warm and quite a bit heavier than she expected. "Take very special care of that bell. Ok? It is a peace of me. As long as you have it I will always be with you no matter what."

Eli looked at Splendorman, "What do you mean a piece of you?"

Splendorman smiled at her with a grin that took up most of his face. "It is a physical piece of me, that bell is sort of like….Well to you humans I guess it would be like a small limb like a finger or something." Before Eli could open her mouth Splendorman quickly added. "But don't worry It will grow back. Us Slenders have regenerative abilities!"

Eli was lost on what to say. He broke off a piece of him that was considered as important as a finger to humans, for her? It was touching as well as slightly horrifying. After all she didn't want him to mutilate himself for her! The face that he could grow his limbs back however was a slight relief to her. But in reality not all that much. "T-Thank you S-Splendorman….."

"Your welcome! However there is something else you should know. Though no longer attached to me I can feel everything that happens to that bell, and through it you. So take good care of it!" Splendorman looked at Eli with a warm grin.

"You can f-feel….. W-Waite w-what!? So w-what happens i-if It b-breaks o-or s-something!? Eli gripped the bell protectively, "W-What will h-happen t-to you!?"

"Nothing much, it would be a little painful to me. But it's not like it would kill me or anything. Plus that I trust you." Splendorman eyes Eli's hand that was wrapped around the bell. He was certain now that he had made the right decision. She would never let anything happen to it. This way he would always be with her no matter what. "It's time for me to go now Eli, it's getting late." Splendorman looked around and it really was beginning to get dark.

"I-I will m-miss you….." Eli looked down at the ground with tears in her eyes once again.

"Don't worry I promise we will see each other again. So don't cry, ok?" Eli shook her head yes at Splendorman she then ran to him and gave his leg, (Cause she couldn't reach anything else.) a big hug. "Good girl" Splendoman smiled before patting her on the head and pushing her towards her house. "Its time for you to go home now."

Eli began to walk towards her house, when she got to the door she turned around to get one last look at Splendorman but he was gone…. "G-Goodbye…" Eli whispered to the wind. She then walked into the house a single tear falling down her cheek.

It would be several years before she ever saw Splendorman again…...

Author note:

Now Before you all start getting angry and flaming me about the fact that Splendor man left for several years and so on so forth. I just want to say that the reason I had Splendorman leave for a couple years is because this is a "romance fanfiction".( Though the romance will come a little later.) I can't exactly have a ten year old develop a romance with anyone now can I? Also before people go off saying that I could have used the years to have them bond with one another well let me put it to you all this way. The direction I see that going in would be something along the lines of this. Splendorman would grow to see Eli as more of a daughter or a little sister figure since her own parents neglect her and it's in his nature to take care of and protect kids. Also since Eli is so young and has little to no interaction with other people since she is so quiet. And since her father and mother favor her sister she is deprived of the attention and love a parent is supposed to give. Romance would not be the first thing that would fall into her mind when leaning on and depending on the older character like Splendorman. But instead a parental figure would be the first thing that would cross her mind. And as he grew up she would have always thought of Splendorman as her big brother or father making it very hard to create a romance between the two or any of his brothers. So this is why I had to give them both a couple years apart. To let Eli grow and to let Splendorman go and work at his mission of spreading cheer and making friends. But don't worry neither of them forget each other. After all they were both the first friends that either of them had ever made. Also I know people are going to bring up the fact that Splendorman can Slender walk and so him traveling around the world would not take as long as Eli seems to think. Keep in mind that Eli does not know what Slender walking is and that since Slender's tent to live a veerryyyy llllloooonnnggg time that years to them would be more along the lines of months or days.(I read quite a few fanfic's that say the Slenderman was around since Dracula, the real human version. If I were to take their life span and time line from those fanfic's yah…. They would most definitely view time differently than the average human.) So to Splenderman he just simply lost track of if you were gonna ask how on earth they would be able to stay apart that long there is your answer! I hope you enjoy the story! And remember reviews keep the chapters coming! I need proof after all that people are really reading these things! Also I love when people put down suggestions or tell me what parts of the story they loved the best! So please comment and tell me your opinions! Also what do you all think of Eli's stutter? I like the addition to the character I feel that it helps define her. But I myself know that some people find it annoying when authors wright stuttering into their stories. I'm not really sure If I will have her stop mind you. But I would love our opinions all the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Eli groaned as she sat up in her bed. She turned her head to her alarm that read 4:00am, one thing she would always swear by was that she hated mornings….. Well…. No it wasn't exactly that she hated mornings (Don't get her wrong though, it sucked getting up any time before 8:00am) it was more along the lines of the fact that she hated where she had to go. High school… The Bain of her existence, everything she hated could almost be summed up in that one word. No it wasn't that she hated learning, oh no Eli loved to read, write, and do biology experiments. Her teachers were also quite nice, it really was a shame that so few students ever bothered to talk and get to know their teachers. They really are great people. In fact it had gotten her out of a few mishaps with homework. And tests(Not that she ever purposely didn't do her homework it was more along the lines that Belle's dog Lucky had developed a taste for Eli's homework….. I'll leave it up to you to guess how that came about….) No it wasn't the school work that she hated but the students. Or to be exact the "Cool People" such as jocks, cheerleaders, and those random people who tended to ride on the coattails of those they thought were cool. Now Eli knew that there were some Jocks and some cheerleaders who weren't all bad. But at the same time those were the people who would turn the other cheek when they saw someone getting bullied for fear of making their own friends mad. Those people were not the bullies but they in a way were just as bad.

Eli yawned and stretched before getting up to turn off her alarm. She then went to her closet to put on some cloths. She always wore sweat pants, a t-shirt and a baggy sweatshirt. It was all Eli ever wore, even when she was forced to dress up nicely she always at least packed a sweatshirt. The reason for this was because she was very self-conscious about her appearance. Over the last couple years Eli had grown, she was now 17 and in 11th grade. Her raven hair was down to her waist, her pail skin became even paler to the point it could rival the color of snow, (to her dismay, no matter how much she went outside it seemed that she never got any darker!), her lips had filled out slightly and their red color had changed from a strawberry red to a blood red. Her eyes had changed from light brown to a dark rich chocolate brown. But the biggest change had to be her body; she was 5 foot 6 inches with a lot of curves and a nice sized chest. The reason why Eli was so self-conscious was mainly because of Belle and her parents. You see when Eli began to grow she also began to show curves (as is natural for some people), for some reason this made Belle poke fun at her endlessly. Then when Eli's chest began to grow Belle only got worse. Eli wasn't really sure why, she compared herself to other people and she seemed like a normal girl…. Nothing seemed amiss other than the fact she was a bit curvier than the other girls in high school, her chest was slightly larger and that she did have slightly bigger hips. Belle would make fun of her endlessly about her body and appearance. She even managed to get her parents in on it as well. She would always state how Eli's hips and thighs were bigger than her own and their mothers and how Eli's chest seemed to always take up so much room. Her mother and father over time began to agree with Belle. At first they used to say that Eli was only changing and that it was natural but it seemed that Belle's words little by little over time began to get to them. Because soon they began to tell Eli that she should work out more and that she should eat less. It got to the point that they would hide food in their closet and state that only they and Belle were allowed to go in their room to eat it. Belle remembered when they first started doing that…..

_Eli's Memory_

Eli's mother had gotten a really huge box of sun chips. Eli loved sun chips, especially the sour cream flavored. Belle also loved sun chips as well, except she loved the basil flavored. The huge box had both flavors of sun chips. Eli's mother had put the box on top of the fridge. Well later that day Belle went over and opened the box taking out a bag of basil flavored sun chips she walked off to her room and ate them. Eli seeing that Belle had eaten a bag went over and grabbed a bag of sour cream sun chips and ate them while she did her homework. Well the next day Eli woke up to find the box of sun chips gone. She didn't notice until a little after lunch time but when she asked her mother about it all she got was an angry response.

"Yes, I hid them from you. I can't believe it, one day in the house and already you stole some sun chips! You need to learn some self-control so that you can lose some weight!" Eli's mother was yelling and pointing a finger at the top of the fridge where the box of chips used to be.

Eli was at a loss on what to say, she hated it when her mom got angry at her. It always made her body lock up and her mouth to become dry. "B-But I….."

"No buts! I forbid you from eating any of those sun chips. I bought those for Belle, your father, and myself." Eli's mother quickly cut Eli off before she could say anything. "I'm doing this for your own good Eli, you really need to lose weight. Your school even sent home a letter saying that you are obese."

Now to explain that letter, yes the school had sent a letter to Eli's house saying that she was obese. This thrilled Belle who grabbed the letter and ran to their parents. Belle even went as far as to hang it on the fridge. When Eli tried to take it down Belle complained saying in a surgery sweet voice, that the reason she wanted the letter to be there, was to help Eli stay motivated in her goal to lose weight. Eli's mother quickly agreed with Belle saying that it was a sweet thing for a sister to do. Well a week later the school sent another letter apologizing, saying that they had gotten the weights mixed up and that Eli was in fact her perfect weight and size. However no matter how many times she showed her mother and her father they simply ignored her. Then when she took down the first letter on the fridge and put up the second one that the school sent. In its place, the next day it was gone. She later found out that it mysteriously had gotten chewed up by Belle's pet dog Lucky…..

Needless to say that after that Eli always wore sweatshirts over her cloths. She also hated wearing shorts and would only ever wear capris on hot days. Eli had also developed a habit of never being the first person to ever open any food or the last person to finish any food. It was a habit that had saved her a lot of grief that was for sure. Her family had also gotten into a habit of always going out to eat without her. They would go for Chinese food and then ice cream later, always seeming to forget to ask Eli if she might want to go. After a while Eli began to get used to it and in truth began to expect it. It just became another part of her life.

_End of Memory _

Eli changed out of her pajamas and brushed out her long hair, before putting it into a tight bun on her head. She never wore her hair down; Belle had taken a liking to pulling it if she ever saw it down. Eli knew that if she told her parents they wouldn't do anything so she simply decided to save herself grief and just put it up. Once she was done she headed down stairs and poured herself a bowl of cereal and a cup of orange juice. She began to read the back of the box when she heard Belle wake up. Eli was slightly shocked when she heard Belle begin to move around. Eli quickly looked at the kitchen wall to see that it was 5:10am. Belle never woke up until 6:30pm and that was hard enough to get her to do, for her to wake up before then was nothing short of a miracle. Eli heard Belle walk to her parent's room and began to bang on the door. Then there was a lot of mumbled voices and tired yawns. From what Eli could understand Belle wanted her hair done a special way today and needed help doing it. Their mother never being able to say no to Belle had agreed last night to help her do it in the morning. Eli seeing that everyone was going to get up early today, quickly finished her cereal; she grabbed her book bag and brushed her teeth before putting on her shoes and running out the door to walk to school. The reason why Eli always had to wake up so early was because she walked 7 miles to school. Belle was allowed to wake up late because their mother or their father always drove her to school each day. They used to both be driven to school but one day someone asked Belle if Eli was her sister and this caused Belle to deny it profusely. When that person brought up the fact that they came in the same car Belle immediately said that Eli was just a kid that her mom saw walking to school and decided to give a ride to out of pity. A week later from that incident Eli's mother told her that she would have to walk to school from then on. She said that it was because she wanted Eli to lose weight and that it would be great exercise for her. Belle had somehow convinced their parents that Eli need to lose weight by walking to school. Eli didn't argue she simply nodded her head and went up to her room to cry silently.

Eli had to take a lot of breaks between the 7 mile walk. Her heart would sometimes give her trouble if she walked to fast to school. This was another reason why she had to leave so early for school the walk took her longer than normal due to her weak heart. Eli arrived at school just in time to see her parents pull up in the car with Belle. Eli ignored them and quickly walked into the school. Class started officially at 7:15am, it was 7:13 Eli was a little later than usual… All of a sudden Eli felt a hard shove in her back she turned around to see Belle push past her and run to class. Eli simply sighed; this was Belles way of saying not to go near her at school. Eli quickly ran to class and sat down just before the bell rang. The teacher gave her a questioning look before starting the lesion.

The rest of the day went normal for Eli. She went to her classes and then went to lunch were she sat alone at a table in the corner then she went to the library and got another book to read. Over all it was a pretty good day. That was until school let out….. Eli began her walk home when all of a sudden someone blocked her path, she looked up to find Tom the school team football player with three of his "followers" behind him. Tom was a handsome guy with chiseled features and large broad chest; he had girls falling for him left and right. Eli had even heard some girls compare him to Greek gods, those comments always made her laugh. Eli would admit he was good looking sure and the best team football player to boot, but underneath all of that he was nothing but a jerk.

"Where you going Stutter?" Tom sneered down at Eli, he had a good two feet on her.

Eli sighed, "W-What d-do you want Tom?" Eli's stutter had lessened over the years but she still tended to stutter in the beginning of her sentences.

"Awww…. Don't be like that Stutter! W-W-W-W-What I want is simply to come over and say hi!" Tom mocked Eli with an over exaggerated Stutter.

"A-All you ever do is annoy me. C-Can't you go and harass someone else?" Eli looked at her feet wishing that they would just go away. But they never did and she knew that.

"Why would I do that when I have you around stutter?" Tom smiled down at Eli and quickly knocked the books she was carrying out of her hands. Eli sighed this was normal routine, Tom would knock her books out of her hands and then he and his goonies would have a good laugh. She bent down to get her books so she wasn't prepared for when her backpack was quickly snatched off her back. She looked up to see Tom going through her stuff.

"Just as I thought! Boring person, boring stuff. It looks like you really have no life after all, huh stutter?" Tom was looking at the book Eli just checked out today while he said this.

"A-Are you done yet Tom?" Eli once again sighed, she had to get home and write a paper and Tom was taking up precious time.

"Oh? Have somewhere to be Stutter? Or is my company just not good enough for you?" Tom's goons laughed behind him.

"I-I'm not in the mood today Tom. C-Can you just give me my stuff back and let me go home?" Eli was truly annoyed now, it would take her around an hour and 45 minutes to get home and with Tom eating her time that research paper would take her forever now.

"You mean this stuff?" Tom heled up Eli's backpack which was now unzipped and wide open. He then threw it in a spiral patterninto the woods that were next to the sidewalk. Eli watched as all her pens, pencils, papers, and note books flew all around the woods. "Oops, I dropped it."

Eli's eyes grew wide, "T-Tom why would you do that?" She began to run towards the woods where her bag was thrown when her shoulder was grabbed and she was pulled back.

"Wow, wow, wow. I'm not done with you Stutter. I didn't give you permission to leave, now did I?" Tom squeezed his grip on Eli's shoulder to the point it began to bruise.

"W-What else do you want Tom? I-I have to go collect my stuff since some gigantic goon decided to throw it into the woods." Eli knew that insulting him was a bad idea but she had just about enough!

"Who are you calling a goon!? Huh? Stutter!?" Tom spun Eli around until she was facing him. I was then that he spotted the one thing Eli held most dear. "Why do you always have this with you?" Tom grabbed Eli's necklace and yanked it off her throat. He then examined it in his hand. "It's a stupid little bell why on earth would you wear this?"

Eli's eyes widened and her breath became short, "G-Give that back!" She jumped up to grab it from Toms hand.

"Oh ho! Look at that! Looks like this means a lot to you doesn't it little Stutter?" Tom yanked the bell out of Eli's reach while laughing.

"I-I'm being serious Tom give that back!" Eli was truly in a panic now; her pupils were even beginning to dilate.

"Hmmm, tell me stutter how much does this bell mean to you?" Tom began to throw the bell and the red ribbon it was connected to back and forth between his hands.

"I-Its mine Tom give it back!" Eli was reaching for it but Tom would simply jump away from her.

"That's not what I asked Stutter." Tom began to throw the bell high into the air now and began to catch it by the ribbon whenever it fell. "You better hurry up and answer me before I accidently drop your precious little trinket."

Eli grit her teeth, as much as she hated answering Tom she couldn't let anything happen to her necklace. "I-It was a gift given to me by a dear friend."

Tom burst out into laughter, "Oh Stutter that is rich! You having a friend? Yah right! There is no none that bothers to hang out with a no none like you!" Tom began to examine the Bell again, "But then again maybe it really was from a friend of yours. Would explain why it's such a cheap trinket."

Eli grit her teeth when Tom called her necklace cheap, "F-For your information that necklace and bell were not cheap! T-The person who gave it to me gave up quite a lot to give me that bell!"

"Really? Well then I wonder what you would do if I broke your little necklace?" Tom grinned and clenched the necklace in his fist before walking to the edge of the woods and picking up a fist size rock.

Eli began to hyperventilate, he wouldn't!? A cruel smile crossed Toms face and Eli immediately knew that he would. "N-No!" Eli launched herself at Tom only to be grabbed by two of Tom's followers.

"Oh, a little bit of a fight? Wow this trinket must really mean a lot to you. Which also means that you will probably be sad when I break it right?" Tom reached the rock high above his head and was about to bring it smashing down when a voice behind Eli stopped him.

"What would you kids be doing over here?" The new voice made Tom freeze and quickly throw the rock on the ground.

"Oh, Coach! Hey, how are you doing!?" Tom looked at the Coach and nodded smiling.

"I'm doing quite well Tom, now are you going to tell me what you are all doing over here?"

"This? Oh, we were just helping Eli…. Up! Yah, she fell and we were walking buy so we all decided to help her up." Tom quickly made up the story since two of his guys had their arms looped through mine.

"Oh, well that was really nice of you boys." The Coach smiled at the boys before adding, "But I didn't know that you were into jewelry Tom."

"Tom turned red in the face before quickly mumbling, "No Eli seemed to have dropped this. I was just giving it back to her." Tom quickly handed the necklace to Eli.

"Oh, well once again you boys have impressed me with your kindness. Now why don't you young men go on your way and I will make sure that Eli here is taken care of." Coach looked pointedly at the boys who immediately nodded and walked off.

Eli immediately clutched the bell to her chest and took a deep breath of relief. She had never been so scared in her life. The bell that Splendorman gave to her meant everything in the world to her. Had anything happened to it she wasn't sure what she would have done! Eli examined the bell thoroughly making sure there were no scratches or dents in it. Eli as about to walk off herself when the Coach's voice stopped her, "I know they weren't helping you up and I know that you didn't drop your necklace."

Eli stopped and spun around to look at the football coach in shock.

"I know what they were doing, and I just wanted to tell you to please try and stay out of there way. Tom is our best player so I can't punish him or kick him off the team. You being around him will only bring trouble for the football team and in the process the school." Eli was about to open her mouth in protest when the Coach interrupted her, "I'm not saying that you go off looking for his attention, all I'm saying is that Tom is the only thing keeping our football team afloat and if he goes down the whole school goes with him. Think about it do you really want to be responsible for that?" The Coach didn't wait for an answer but instead began to briskly walk away from Eli into the other direction.

Eli simply watched him go with sad eyes. It seemed that the world was against her at times. She quickly shrugged it off and went into the woods where he stuff had been thrown. It was everywhere! She didn't even know where to begin! It took Eli around 3 hours to find everything and that was after searching around on her hands and knees. She was just about to zipper her backpack when she saw a piece of paper stuck to a tree It was a little stick figure that seemed to be surrounded by a bunch of little stick trees…..

"Hmmm… I-I must have drawn this a while ago if I don't even remember it." Eli quickly snatched it off the tree without a second thought. "A-All well, even if I don't remember it, it's still not good to litter. I-I must have doodled it on a day that I was really tired. I-I have got to get more sleep, I'm starting to forget when I do things again.….." Eli walked off not seeing the strange tall figure watching her from the woods…..

So tell me what you think!? I have decided to update more often! However to do that the Chapters had to be shorter so I apologize for that. Anyway what did you all think of Eli's 17 year old life? What did you think of Tom? What did you think of the Coach? Remember I like it when I get interaction from my reviewers! Reviews keep the chapters coming! Also thank you for your answers to my Stuttering question I loved that people responded and actually gave their opinions! Keep doing that and I will keep writing!


	4. Chapter 4

Ok well this time I'm going to start things out a little different! As proof to everyone that I do indeed read the reviews you submit, I am going to answer and respond to the people who have reviewed and asked me questions! (I really normally don't do this, since it tends to eat up a lot of time. But I loved all your reviews so much that I thought I would take the time to answer you all.)

**Lady Minuialwen**: You were the very first person who read my fanfiction and you were also the very first person to review it. I hope that you keep enjoying the story!

**Cba2SignIn:** Thank you for answering my stuttering question about Eli. It really makes me happy when people tell me their opinions, to me that means that they are truly enjoying what I write. I am also thankful for your support of me sending Splendorman away for a few years. It helps to know that my readers agree with what I write.

**Gallan:** Now you are truly something special. I have to admit that I truly look forward to your reviews. They make me smile each time I read them. I love your opinions and statements. You really make updating chapters worth it. I really hope that you keep reviewing each chapter that I put up. Your reviews tell me that you are reading my story and that you are truly interested in what I write. Thank you.

**Milo:** I am happy that you like the story so far. I really hope that I can keep you loving it all the way through the end.

**Cryptidking:** I am so happy that you like the story! Some people call me evil…. However I simply think of myself as a person who enjoys torturing and teasing the mind until one is sitting on the edge of their seat holding their breath and about to lose their sanity. And once I have them where I want them I bend them to my will to the point that they have no choice but to follow my stories on their twisted rides until the very end. If they survive that long… (Hope you keep enjoying the story! Don't forget to comment! :D )

**War Claw Bites:** Well I'm truly not sure if I should be happy that I made you cry. But Im glad that you are enjoying the story so far! Please comment more!

**kalulu77**: 3 Things

Belle is a huge brat but she is not all to blame her parents had a huge part in that, it was their own mistake that helped the process along. They spoiled her and never said no to her as a child. Letting her do as she pleased. This caused her to become the monster of a brat she is today. (Sucks huh?)

Eli's parents are very neglectful, but at the same time they were slowly poisoned over time by the monster that they had made by their very own hands. Belle slowly turned them against Eli without them even realizing what was happening.

As for Tom….. Well don't worry about him (Evil grin) he plays a special part later in the story…..

**AnonymousCryxxx: **You truly flatter me with your claim of love… However I find that I may be a little to brutal for a kind person such as you. May your love live on! Also I hope that you enjoy the story!

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Eli sighed and picked up her books off her desk. It had been a week since the incident with Tom. Eli smiled and looked out the window that was in her classroom. In fact it had been a rather peaceful week in all. Eli jumped as the bell went off. "Finally the weekend is here!" Every student and teacher loved the weekend it even made Eli smile. Though she had to admit that it was a bit lonely…..

Eli walked out of the classroom watching as the other students all talked about meeting up during the weekend. Eli then looked down and sighed. It wasn't as if she hadn't tried to make friends, it was more along the lines of the fact that she just seemed to fail at it in every way. It just seemed that everywhere she went nasty roomers were spread about her. She had no idea who started them, only that they were there and apparently talked about all around the school.

Eli smiled as she walked out he the school and the cool breeze hit her face. Eli loved this time of year when the leaves would swirl around her where ever she walked as if by magic. The colors and smell always relaxed her and made her happy. Times like this always made her thankful for the little things in life. She began to walk down her usual path back to her house when she saw Tom standing around 20 feet from her. He was looking around and he seemed extremely agitated, that was not good…. Eli was hidden by all of the other students who were flooding from the school. But she knew that her hiding place would only last for so long. With students eagerly running to their parents cars and leaving the front school yard quickly. Eli began to look around her in a panic. There had to be another way that she could get home! Eli's head whipped back and forth. There was nowhere! The students around her were beginning to thin. It was then that Eli saw the woods. Of course, she could head home in the woods! She had never done it before, but the woods were right next to the path that she took every day, so as long as she was careful she should be able to make her way home. Eli's decision was made for her when the students around her disappeared completely and she saw Tom's eyes land on her. Without a second thought Eli dove for the woods and literally (she more of jumped than dove into the woods) hit the ground running. She was at least thirty feet from the school before she had to stop and lean against a tree.

Eli coughed and rubbed her chest, "Well it would seem that I might have over done it a little." Just as Eli said this her legs buckled from under her and she fell on her hands and knees to the ground. Eli began to cough with a vengeance. A loud splat was heard throughout the forest; she sat up and whipped her mouth with her sleeve. Looking down at the ground Eli sighed and fell back words in a sitting position. On the forest floor where Eli had a coughing fit a foot wide puddle of blood had formed and was slowly oozing into the soil. Eli grimaced and began to rub her chest again taking large calm breaths. Eli began to tremble uncontrollably and her vision began to blur. Just before she blacked out Eli saw a tall figure with pail skin walking towards her. Feel the darkness closing in on her vision Eli gave a week smile that lit up her whole face, "I-I m-missed you so much…" She then proceeded to slump to the forest floor and not move.

_**Change of Pov**_

Slenderman had been making his rounds around his forest when he felt something was off. Someone had entered his forest. It was a bit early for a meal, but he was never one to turn down food of any kind. He began to slowly walk to the area that he felt the disturbance. He wasn't too far so he had no need to slender walk. As he grew closer he breathed in deeply, it was wonderful….. The smell….. Somewhere nearby there was a sweet smell of rain and plants. Now he was indeed in a forest so the thought of smelling plants was truly nothing special. But this smell was different. It was not the smell of plants that he was used to. No, this smell was different somehow….. On top of that the fact that it hadn't rained in at least a month, help him realize that this couldn't be the smell of the forest around him. The smell was almost hypnotizing. As he followed it he began to realize that there was another smell along with the other smell. Oh, yes he knew this smell well… The smell of blood hit his nose like a title wave. It smelled…wonderful… He thought the smell before was hypnotizing but this…. This was almost completely something else altogether. It was as if the smell was pulling him. He could feel himself become light headed. This smell was intoxicating; he felt that he could get drunk off the smell of this blood. (Though Slenders were not able to get drunk to his knowledge.)

As the smell grew stronger Slenderman felt himself speed up. His mouth began to water as he got closer to the delectable smell. However a low growl ripped through his chest as he got closer. If there was blood then there was a chance that an animal or another creature like himself had gotten to the pray before he could. This did not bode well with him. Slenders are very possessive creatures, if one had their mind set on pray than it was almost like suicide to try and interfere. The thought on anyone else hunting in _**his**_forest made his blood boil. When he was only a few feet from the smell Slenderman stopped and stepped behind a tree. He liked to analyze his pray before he tried to hunt. Not only that but if there was someone who dared to hunt in his forest he wanted to get a good look at them before he confronted the creature. Not that he was scared! If anyone ever even suggested that Slenderman would laugh and then proceed to rip them to shreds. No, he just liked to be smart and study his pray and enemies before he killed them.

Slenderman looked around the side of the tree only to be meet with a small human female. He looked around and began to sniff the air, there was no mistaking it. The sweet smell was coming from this clearing. But he didn't see any other creatures around other than the girl. He sniffed the air some more before shaking his head. The only one here was the human. So why was there such a strong smell of blood? Slenderman stepped out from behind the tree and began to walk towards the human. The sweet smell of rain and plants entered his nose along with the intoxicating smell of the blood. The female did not appear to be wounded…. So where was the blood coming from? He looked around as he began to get closer, there her saw it! There was a puddle of blood beside the crumples female. But other than that there was no sign of any more. All of a sudden he was broken out of his thoughts by a small soft voice, it was the human.

"I-I m-missed you so much…" The female gave a smile a genuine smile that lit its hole face up. Then she proceeded to slump over in a heap.

For a few moments all Slenderman could bring himself to do was stare at the human. He didn't know what to make of what she had said. Or the look that she had on her face….. It made his stomach clench in a weird way. He didn't like it. No, he didn't like it at all. He gave a brief thought to who he might have looked like to her. After all if wasn't as if he looked like a lot of people. Then again the human was obviously sick or injured in some way. It was probably delusional or something….. He used one of his tentacles to pick up the female by the back of her shirt. He brought her to eye level and began to look at her closely. She was small, but about average height for her species. After almost everything was small compared to his races height. Her hair was an extremely shiny dark color and her skin…. It was almost as pail as his! He quickly proceed to shack his head. What was he doing? She was food, and slenders never studied there food. It was always best not to get attached, not that the ever had such a problem. He was much to strong willed for such petty things like that to get ahold of him. He began to lift his other tentacles around himself and proceeded to reach for the female. He was not truly hungry, but wasting food was always a shame. He began to wrap his tentacle's around her arms and legs and just as he was beginning to pull on them to rip them apart so that he could begin to eat her. He heard a small jingle. He shot his head up to see a small golden bell attached to a red ribbon fallout from the humans shirt. Slenderman froze and became stiff, for a few moments he just stood there holding the human female. He slowly reached his hand over and picked up the bell that was dangling in front of him. After looking at it for a few seconds he let go of it quickly and place the female down onto the ground.

"What has that fool done!" Slenderman looked at the human. He knew that his brother was infatuated with the human race but to physically put a person under his protection was news to Slenderman. Now Slender's had proxy's Slenderman himself had a few proxies of his own but that was much different than what his brother had done. When taking a proxy a Slender would market them as their own with a tattoo or a symbol of some sort. That symbol then acted as a conductor or a go between. But the Slender could control the bond. The proxy had no say on how the bond would work. What his brother had done was give the human a physical part of himself! A part of himself that could get destroyed and damaged. Now granted that this had no chance of killing his brother but that wasn't the point. The point was that this girl was not a proxy. She was well….. Something else….. To give a physical part of themselves actually symbolized something much deeper than that of a bond with one's proxy.

Slenderman gave a mental frown of disapproval. Either way he couldn't hurt the girl, she was now off the meal list. Brother or not she was marked as being under someone else's protection. He couldn't touch her, unless he wanted to risk the wrath of his brother. On top of that her special marking was a clear red sign of don't touch. He stood there looking down at the girl and sighed, he really had his hands tied with this one…

_**Change in POV**_

Eli slowly opened her eyes. "W-Where am I?" She looked around and saw that she was somehow in the forest. The sun was setting and the sky was turning a blazing orange and deep red. "Huh?" All of a sudden it all came flying back to Eli. The running from Tom, the over exerting herself, the blood loss and the fainting. She quickly sat up and began to look around almost frantically. "I could have sworn I saw… No, there's no way…. I must have been imagining it….." For a moment Eli could have sword that she saw Splendorman…. She sighed and used the nearby tree to stand back up. She must have been imagining it, if he had been here she was sure that he would have stayed with her. She glanced at the sky again and gasped she had to get home fast or else she would get caught in the woods after dark. Eli began to walk towards where her house was humming. Her voice was slightly raspy and her mouth caked with the dry blood. When she was younger Eli would go into the forest and walk around looking for Splendorman. She had done it so often that she had in fact memorized most of the forest. Though she had never been to all of it. There were certain parts that would send a chill up her spine for no reason. Those parts she steered clear of, for some reason she just knew that those part were off limits. She walked around searching for one of the paths that she recognized. For a while she couldn't find anything that looked familiar. She was about to give up and turn around when she finally saw a path that she had seen before. Almost being thankful to tears Eli quickly scrambled to the path and began to track her way home. When she go home she saw that Belle's dog was outside the house again. She sighed sometimes Belle tended to forget her pet outside and wouldn't realize it till a couple days later. But when she did it was borderline heck for Eli and her family. Belle would throw a full blown out tantrum and would lock herself inside of her room. She would then refuse to come out or eat until someone brought back her beloved pooch. Oh, how Eli hated that dog….. Eli was often blamed whenever Belle forgot the dog, being to stubborn to actually admit her mistake Belle would toss the blame on Eli and her parents would of course believe her. Eli did not feel like dealing with that again anytime soon.

Eli began to whistle, "Come here Lucky, come on! I have a treat for you!" All the dog did was glare at her and begin to walk around the yard. "Lucky, come on don't make this harder than it has to be!" Eli began to walk towards lucky when he growled and barked at her. Eli backed away slightly and stared at the dog. If she left him there then she would get grounded later for "losing him" but if she tried to get him now he might try to snap at her. Eli weighed her options but quickly decided when she saw Lucky was heading towards the front of the house where the street was. He had almost been hit by cars so many times that it was actually how he got his name. However Eli didn't want to test his Luck any more than she had to. She dreaded to think of what would happen to her if Belle's precious pet got hit by a car.

"Lucky stop! Come here Lucky!" Eli ran over to lucky and reached out to grab his collar before he could break out into a run. However Lucky growled and lunged at Eli in a vicious storm. "Ahhhhhhh!" Eli let out a blood curdling scream. Lucky was a mixed breed so no one really knew what he was, but one thing was sure. Lucky was no small dog, he was at least up to Eli's waist when on all fours. So when he lunged at her he had pushed her to the ground his weight pinning her to the ground. Thankfully when this had happened Eli had quickly shoved both her arms in front of her face. Lucky wrapped his whole mouth around Eli's for arm and bit down as hard as he could. Eli whimpered, all of Lucky's fangs were deep into her skin she could feel them shift every time he growled.

Lucky then began to pull his head yanking Eli's arm with him. Tears began to fall down Eli's cheeks as he began to walk and drag her by her arm. All of a sudden Lucky seemed to freeze; he had dragged Eli so that she was on her stomach facing him with her back to the forest and Luckly facing the trees. He seemed to be staring at something his muscles rigid. It was then that he let go of Eli's arms and began to whimper in a high pitch whine. His tail quickly hid between his legs and his ears drooped down. Eli was in too much shock to really register all of what was going on but she did respond when Lucky began to let out a loud howl. Then a stream of yellow pee flowed down Luckys leg. Eli wrinkled her nose in disgust. This dog was nasty that was for sure. Luckly without warning still howling ran to the door with so much force that Eli heard a loud crack. It would seem that Luckly broke the Latch on his doggie door that had been locked. Eli watched as the doggie door fell off its hinges. Well that's the end of that door…..

"That was strange, I wonder what could have spooked Luckly so bad…." Eli began to look at the forest around her muscles tense. After waiting there for around fifteen minutes she shrugged it off. Maybe it had been a stray animal that had spooked Luckly. Eli still keeping herself aware walked into the house slowly and closed the door. She would have to find something to block the doggie door with until her parents could fix it.

_**Change POV**_

Slenderman had followed the human girl home. He had watched as the dog refused her command and then began to walk towards the rode. The human seemed to try and stop the animal but it attacked her. When the dog began to pull the female and Slenderman smelled blood he stepped from behind the tree and let loose a strong killing intent towards the direction the animal was in. The animal immeaditly let go of the girl and wet itself. Absolutely disgusting….. The female seemed to agree by the way her face scrunched up. Once Slenderman took his concentration off of the dog to study the females face the animal ran into the door of the female's dwelling breaking a small panel that was at the bottom of the door with a loud crack. Slendrman watched as the female got up and began to study the woods around her. He quickly steeped behind one of the trees again so that she would no longer see him. After around fifteen minutes she slowly went into her dwelling. Slenderman watched as she disappeared into her home. He would watch and wait. He would find out what made this human so special for his brother to actually form that type of _bond_ with it. "I wonder what he saw in you….." Slender man whispered at the now empty back yard.

Sorry for the long wait I had a whole bunch of College test this past two weeks. Yah not fun…..Ok, so to get this out of the way! I'm starting to get slightly annoyed about all the comments that Eli is weak and that the whole world is against her. So I'm going to try my best to clear things up! Look I'm hearing that people think that the plot is over exaggerated, well keep in mind that I'm in college currently and have little to no time to write this fanfiction. I have to move the plot along slightly quickly and in the process I have to exaggerate it in order to get the point across in fewer chapters than I would if I had time to write a longer and more detailed story. So yes the plot is exaggerated! Get over it!

Also as for Eli and having everything go wrong for her, the reason I have done this is because Eli was 10 when she met Splendor man. Now if Eli had friends then they would have diluted the memory and in the process the amount of how precious he was to her. I have no interest in that happening. Also I have seen friends in Slender fanfictions and they always seem to get pushed away slightly and over time the story is completely consumed by the Slenders and the main character, the friends and family are either completely forgotten or they only show up ever fourteen chapters or so and that's only for a paragraph. I have no interest in doing that. I most likely will not give Eli a friend I need her completely dependent on the Slenders! Also for those that keep saying that it's impossible for life to be this cruel and so on, I just want to say that Eli's situation is based on a true story of someone I know. Yah, life sucks, it's not all fun and games people. Life is cruel and not always fair. Also as for Eli winning battles and snapping, let me explain her character. Eli is supposed to be as innocent and vulnerable as a human can get. The reason for this is because I want her to be the one thing that the Slenders see as pure and the one person that they need to protect. So there! Everyone else please comment and enjoy! Remember the comments keep the chapters coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Eli heaved and threw up again in the toilet in her bathroom. She sighed and wiped her mouth on her sleeve once the heaving had stopped. "Ugh…. My stomach…" Eli slumped on the bathroom floor and lay there limply. It had been like this for the past three days. Eli would get up run to the bathroom vomit and then slowly (if she could even move) crawl/ drag her tired body back to her bed. Eli grit her teeth and cursed the person who had ever invented sleepovers. Whoever did it deserved to be shot! As she lay on the tile floor she thought back to how she had gotten into this predicament.

_**Flash back**_

Eli stood there dumbly looking at her mother. "Huh?" was all that she was able to get out of her mouth.

"Here, your father and I got you a gift." Eli's mother was sitting at the kitchen table her long legs crossed and began to push a wrapped object in Eli's direction. "Honestly Eli, don't act so surprised! You act as if we never give you gifts! Why just last Christmas we gave you….. Huh? I can't seem to recall what we had given you…. All well, it doesn't matter! I'm sure whatever it was it must have been great. So stop gawking and open your gift!"

Eli's eyebrow lifted when she heard that, this would in fact be the first gift that they had given her in seven years now….. They always seemed to forget her on Christmas, but after a while she just stopped reminding them. "T-thanks mom…." Eli had no idea what to say. After all what do you say to your mother who hasn't given you a single present for the last seven years and then out of the blue just hands you a gift?

Eli slowly walked towards the gift that was placed on the kitchen table. She cautiously reached for it, almost like it was a bomb. When her hand touched it she resisted the urge to yank the appendage back as if burned. She gently grabbed the brightly wrapped package looking around the whole time. In truth Eli was just waiting for Belle to pop up out of nowhere claiming the gift was hers or something similar to that situation.(After all that had happed before.) After a few seconds of holding the gift and realizing that nothing was goanna happen and that the world was not imploding around her she began to ever so slowly inch the gift towards her body still very cautious.

"Eli! Really will your hurry up! I have to get my hair dyed in an hour! With the speed you're going it's going to be three hours before you're done!" Eli's mother was becoming impatient and began to tap her foot on the tiled kitchen floor.

"S-Sorry mom….." Eli mumbled and proceeded to gently open the wrapping paper a bit faster. She just stared at what she found in the color paper. "A sleeping bag?"

"Yes, you can thank your younger sister Belle. She told your father and I that you didn't have one. How on earth you never had one I have no idea. Considering all of the family camping trips we went on.(Eli remembered those well, she always had to pack a pillow and a sheet to sleep on.) But anyway, your sister is having a sleepover with some of her new friends and of course wanted you to be a part of it. She is such a sweet sister! She asked your father and I to get you a sleeping bag and everything!" Eli's mother was smiling and looking at the wall to the left side of her, a picture of Belle that was hung on the kitchen wall in that direction. Eli's mother looked fondly at it before turning her attention to her.

Eli felt her stomach drop to the floor. Belle wanted her to be a part of one of her sleepovers? With her friend's? This did not feel right, in fact this felt dangerous. Belle hated to admit that she and Eli were even related, so to actually have Eli included in one of her social events? Oh yah, there was most defiantly a catch. "But mom its Belle's friends, she's not going to want me there. I'll just be in the way."

"Nonsense! Belle specifically asked for you! I don't want to hear any complaints!" Eli was about to open her mouth in protest but her mother quickly interrupted her, "The sleepover is at 8:00pm and I expect you to be down stairs helping greet all of Belle's new friends! Do you understand young lady!? It would be completely rude and cruel of you to say no to your sister's kind offer. I raised you better than that."

Eli's head hung, "Yes mother…" But couldn't help herself when she mentally shouted," You barely even bother to ever look at me, and you claim to have raised me?" She laughed in her head to herself, but then sighed in defeat. If she had a bit more guts she might have said something. But her mother always managed to make her slump in defeat and cause her mouth to go dry. Eli guessed that it was a type of survival instinct or something… she didn't know, but it was the best explanation that she could come up with. Well that and she never could seem to be able to stand up for herself.

"Good girl, now go run along and get ready for the sleep over." Eli's mother who had now lost interest in Eli stood and began to walk towards the living room to look for her keys. Eli watched as her mother walked off, a silent sound of plea wanting to escape her mouth. However it never came instead with a lost look she watched as her mother's back disappeared into the next room. The first gift given to her by her parents in seven years and it was more of a curse or a punishment than a present… She walked up the steps to her bedroom she shoulders slumped and her head hung low. She looked at the clock only to see that it was 7:40pm. Her mother couldn't even give her fair warning! Then again if she had Eli would have without a doubt found a way to hide, or run from the house until the sleepover was over. Eli knew that if she didn't appear at Belle's party their mother would have Eli's head served on a platter.

Just then she jumped when her bed room door opened. It was Belle her hair had neon pink streaks through it. At first Eli was lost but then she remembered that her mother was supposed to her hair dyed yesterday. The reason she had to get it done today was because yesterday Belle had wanted her hair done. So their mother gave her appointment to Belle instead…..

"What are you gawking at!?" Belle gave Eli a sour glare.

"Y-Your hair…" Eli pointed at Belle's hair.

"Oh, you like? This is the _**in**_ color in school, everyone who's _**anyone**_ is doing it. But then again it's understandable that you wouldn't know anything about that." Belle touched her hair and began to smile. She then looked around the room and her face become sour. "Why is it you never have a mirror in here? How am I supposed to make sure that I look good for my friends without a mirror?

"W-Well B-Belle there is a mirror in the bathroom right down the hall, and your room as well." Eli was praying that she would silently take the hint and leave.

"Whatever, it is probably a good thing that you don't have a mirror anyway. Wouldn't want your appearance to lower your self-esteem after all." Belle spoke in a sugary voice that was high pitched and made Eli's ears throb.

"T-There i-is a mirror in the bathroom Belle, I have no need for one in my room." Eli looked down at the ground not making eye contact. In truth Eli wouldn't mind a mirror in her room; Belle had three in her room. A stand up mirror, one attached to her bureau, and a huge on in her walk in closet. Eli had once asked for one from her parents but in the end, like everything else that involved her, they immediately forgot. After that Eli just gave up, there was no use. So why even bother? On top of that she had been harassed about her appearance from Belle for so long that at this point she knew better than to take the bait.

Belle pouted when she realized that Eli wasn't going to take the bait and rolled her eyes. "Anyway I have great news!"

Eli lifted her head slowly and looked at belle with a cautious look. "What news?"

"I made the cheerleading team! Can you believe it! Well of course you can. After all there was no doubt in the first place that I would ever make it." Belle whipped her hair and put her hand on her hip.

"Congratulations?" Eli really didn't like the cheerleading team they were always prissy and cruel to girls that they thought were "_beneath them_" Belle was hard to handle as it was, Eli truly feared what would happen if Belle became influenced under the cheerleaders.

"I know right!?" Belle did now seem to pick up on Eli's hesitance. "Which brings me to the reason I came here." Belle's voice became low, silky, and dangerous this made Eli gulp. Belle only ever used this voice when she wanted to get Eli in trouble somehow.

"This is my chance to prove myself to the cheerleaders, you could call it a rite of passage. Every cheerleader has done it and now it's my turn. This is very important my whole reputation is based on this. If you should at all in any way embarrass me or do anything that I don't like. Well, let's hope it never comes to that because I can assure you that your life will become miserable." Belle was giving her darkest glare that she possibly could to Eli.

Eli gulped, this was bad Belle was being serious, "T-Then w-why even have me come to this party at all? W-Why n-not tell me to simply just stay inside of my room the whole time they are here."

Belle let out a tinkling laugh this time a large smile appearing on her face, "Why big sister I would never dream of throwing a party without you."

It was then that the doorbell rang making Belle jump and run to the door yelling things like, "Oh my goodness there here!? How is the house!? How does my hair look!? Dad did mom bake that three tear cake that I wanted!?"

Eli watched her go and cringed. Maybe the only reason that Belle wanted her to come was because she wanted her to be envious of the fact that Belle was in cahoots with the cheerleaders? In truth Eli could live with that, she could care less. But something in her gut was telling her that wasn't the case. She began to walk down stairs afraid that she would get in trouble with her mother later if she was not down stairs to greet the guests.

"Belle! How are you!?" A group of females were standing at the door one walked over to Belle and began to present to kiss her cheeks. Belle copied the motion with a large smile on her face. "We are the first to arrive correct?"

"Um, well…" Belle glanced behind herself towards me. "There is one who arrived before you did."

The girl looked up with a start before a predatory smile spread across her face. "Oh, is she the sacrifice?" Belle shook her head yes and began to slowly open her mouth when Eli butted in.

"T-The w-what!?" A red flag was rising fast in Eli's mind.

Belle glared at Eli and then looked back at the girl, "I am so sorry Trisha, Eli had arrived around half an hour earlier than you. I told my mother no to let her in until you came, but well…. You know how parents can be. So she's been here since, and yes she is the sacrifice."

Eli satire dumbfounded at her sister, so that was her plan? To pass her off as a random unpopular person that she invited? Eli restrained from flinching for some reason that hurt…. She knew that if anything she should have expected this, heck what did she think was goanna happen? That Belle was just goanna walk over to girls and claim that Eli was her older sister? That was laughable! But that didn't make it hurt any less…..

The leader now dubbed Trisha turned to Belle with a smirk on her face, "Be careful where you step new girl, the only reason why we are even giving you a chance is because Tom showed some interest in you." Trisha turned towards Eli, "Don't worry, we each have nick names, think of them as a sign of friendship! It was decided that your name would be sacrifice before we invited you. Just like Belle's nick name is New girl! Everyone who's ever been to a sleep over knows about the nickname rule! But then again you probably have never been a part of a party before, so your ignorance is forgivable." Trisha gave a dark smile before turning to the girls behind her, "Well, let the party commence!"

Eli watched as the girls all crowded into the house. Sacrifice? Nicknames? Parties? How stupid did these people think she was!? And if that truly was a sign of friendship then it was the weirdest thing she ever heard of. On top of that this Trisha girl made her skin crawl. But what really made the alarm bells in her head go off was what the girl had said. Tom was interested in her sister? Oh, please no! She would give anything! Just please don't let that happen! Eli began to look towards the heavens mentally begging for mercy. She was about to fall to her hands and knees and try begging in that position when Belle called her into the next room.

At first Eli looked at the front door was facing and thought about making a run for it but Belle began to call her name louder. Eli sighed and her shoulders slumped, even if she did escape when she came home again her mother and father would rip her new one. She slowly began to trudge towards the living room where all the girls had disappeared to. She looked around to see that the girls had all parked. Themselves on the couches, easy chairs, and floor of the living room.

Eli took a seat behind one of the couches hoping to blend in so that no one would see her. She watched as all of the girls began to gossip and laugh. It made her stomach hurt for some reason, watching everyone have fun. All of a sudden Eli's father came out "Who's ready for cake!?" he struggled under neath the large three tier cake's weight. He then began to cut the cake into pieces and place them on plates. "Well come on everyone eat up!" All the girls began to run and get pieces of the cake except for Eli who watched silently.

It was then that Eli's father looked up from his cutting and spotted her….


End file.
